Happy Fall

Believe it or not, next school year’s application windows are fast approaching! In preparation, we share resources below for building and strengthening your relationships with feeder schools and other relevant community partners. Plus, on Nov. 15, session three of our in-depth learning series will focus on “Building Momentum: Community Engagement and Recruitment Planning.” Join this three-hour workshop either in-person at the League offices or via Zoom. Free to members!

Whatever you do, don’t miss our Nov. 9 lunch and learn that delves into AI in PR. Yes, it’s true; with AI you can achieve better outcomes with less time!  Learn how.

Peeking Back

Leveraging Community Engagement to Drive Continuous Enrollment (Session One)
Sept. 28, 2023 | League Offices
The League’s Director of Charter School Growth, Bill Knous, kicked off the first of six focused workshops designed for both school leaders and site-based owners of marketing, enrollment and/or community engagement. This first module — Setting the Stage: Vision, Metrics, and Roles for the Life Cycle of Community Engagement, Recruitment, and Enrollment — did just that by (1) unpacking the overall framework, (2) establishing the importance of developing a vision and metrics, and (3) identifying who on your team is best positioned to lead projects within these spaces. 

After the combined workshop on Oct. 10 as part of the 2023 Leadership Summit (see below), three sessions remain; attend one or attend them all! Free to members. The next on Nov. 15 will focus on "Building Momentum: Community Engagement and Recruitment Planning.”

CONNECT Workshop & Focused Leadership Series
(Re)Defining Your Marcomms Goal and Objectives
Oct. 10 | Le Meridien Downtown Denver
A small but mighty group, this in-person workshop allowed attendees to dive into their enrollment marketing for both this year and the next while gathering real-time, personal feedback. Topics included overcoming leadership challenges and developing a steadfast, unique value proposition as well as measuring and tracking critical KPIs. The League’s Bill Knous, Director of Charter School Growth, led the session. Guest facilitators included Christy Slavin, President of Hive Digital Minds, and Shawn Hoffman, Director of Business Development with Schola. 

2023 Leadership Summit
Oct. 10 | Le Meridien Downtown Denver
Thank you to those who joined the Annual Leadership Summit and its multiple breakout sessions, EdTalks and panel discussions. Special thanks to our keynote speaker, Dr. Salome Thomas-EL, for his impassioned address on "Choosing to Stay in Challenging Times — Cultivating Cultures of Learning, Joy and Resilience.” Indeed, every child deserves someone who deeply cares for them! Session recordings coming soon. In the meantime, we’d love your feedback on this year’s event.

Looking Ahead

CONNECT Lunch & Learn
Empowering School Communications Through AI: Less Time, Better Outcomes
Nov. 9 | 12:00 - 12:55 PM   |   Virtual
Join us for this online session with guest presenter Adrienne Schafer, Senior Director at GroundFloor Media (GFM), who will share how to use AI to elevate your PR and storytelling. Learn how to harness AI to discover newsworthy stories within your school community, draft persuasive pitches, and analyze data to distill impactful narratives. While AI can't do it all, it's a powerful ally for PR professionals, reducing the grind and elevating the quality of your communications.

With a master's degree in e-learning Adrienne enjoys instructing people about technology, using technology, including how to leverage AI for marketing and communications. Her background includes roles at Twitter where she advised global brands on maximizing social data, and at Sony, where she engaged children with interactive technology exhibits. RSVP today to save your spot.

Leveraging Community Engagement to Drive Continuous Enrollment (Session Three)
Nov. 15   |   12:00 - 3:00 PM   |   League Office & ZoomThis session, Building Momentum: Community Engagement and Recruitment Planning, will help attendees set a new vision and norm for school recruitment across their school, while deep-diving into a wealth of practices, tools, and frameworks that can be adapted to any context. Specifically, this session will touch on best practices to foster true partnerships with families and communities. These partners appreciate, value, and support the social, emotional, and wellness needs of your students while building collaborative and authentic regional connections and supporting the neighborhoods surrounding schools. Book now.

29th Annual National Parental Involvement Day
Nov. 16 
A day for America's parents, grandparents and caring adults! As a leader in advocacy for parent involvement in education, Project Appleseed has a long history of supporting and promoting National Parental Involvement Day, the oldest family engagement event in education. Read more and get ideas for celebrating the contributions of parents and volunteers at your school while promoting the value of family and community involvement in public education. 

Northern Colorado Regional Gathering 
Larimer and Weld County Leaders
Nov. 28 | 5:00 - 7:00 PM   |   TBD
Are you located in Northern Colorado? Join your charter peers at this upcoming regional happy hour hosted by the Colorado League of Charters Schools! These gatherings provide an opportunity for you to connect and network with other charter leaders in your area, as well as members of the League staff. Specific locations will be determined based on registrants’ location, so please register early. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be provided by the League.

News & Resources

4 Fun Ways to Build Relationships with Your Feeder Schools
SchoolMint | July 28, 2022
Learn why engaging with feeder schools in your community should be part of your enrollment marketing strategy — and how it can actually be really fun! Read more. 

6 Powerful Strategies to Promote School and Community Relations
Positive Action | September 13, 2023
Education is not all about finding X in a mathematical equation or writing book reports. It extends to how students will fit into the real world during their school days and afterward. Read more. 

2023 Niche K-12 Parent Survey
Niche | October 10, 2023
The survey was open from June 30, 2023 to August 8, 2023, and was posted to Niche and sent to registered parents. For K-12 families, we received 1,001 responses from parents and caregivers with at least one child entering kindergarten through 12th grade in the fall of 2023. Read more. 

Family and School Partnership in Education Month
CDE | November 2023
Governor Polis has declared November to be Family and School Partnership in Education Month. For resources including story ideas for local media coverage and social media check out the Communications Toolkit.

Shout Outs

This High School Was Ranked the Best in Colorado
NewsBreak | October 15, 2023
Congrats to Stargate Charter School in Thornton for being ranked as the best public high school in the state. Read more. 

At Cole, supporting Spanish-speaking learners this Hispanic Heritage Month
BoardHawk | October 16, 2023
At Cole Arts & Science Academy we are intentional about supporting our Hispanic students in a way that feels authentic to their educational experience and to the experiences of their families living in our communities. Read more. 

Have any tips or resources you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected].

The Stories We Tell: Get to Know the Group

Katie Novak, School Development Manager, Challenge to Excellence Charter (C2E)

Meet Katie, School Development Manager at C2E. Katie’s routine is early-to-bed (8:45PM to be exact; we're jealous!), early-to-rise (to the breakfast of champions: bacon and eggs, which is sometimes also for dinner and, if she had her way, an ice cream flavor she’d welcome for dessert).

Ever the optimist, Katie sees the sunnyside in things. So much so, she used to model sunglasses as a kid during PBS telethons. Today, you’ll find her entering a room to the silent beat of 311’s Amber sans shades, because, ‘Whoa, amber is the color of [her] energy.” No Red Bull energy drink required. In fact, she can’t stand the smell of it. Insert her zombie apocalypse must-haves coffee and creamer here.

Quick on her feet, this beach-loving, forever learner would rather master the salsa than learn to scuba dive. Also no technophobe (fear of grasshoppers on the other hand…), she’s keen on tuning her own Casio keyboard, programming her Philips Hue (bedtime’s calling!) and maybe even dusting off and plugging in her old Fisher Price record player from time-to-time. All the while, she secretly wishes she was expert enough to teach a master class on cyber security. All in due time, Katie! 

Connect with Bill in our online CONNECT Community or on LinkedIn.

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